POSSIBLE ROLE OF TRANSFORMING-GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA IN RELAPSING-REMITTING MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum levels of transforming growth fact or (TGF)-beta and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) were evaluated in ten patients with definite multiple sclerosis (MS) o f the relapsing-remitting type. CSF TGF-beta levels of MS patients in remission were significantly (p < 0.01) higher than of MS patients in active phase, and there was a significant inverse correlation (p < 0.0 5) between TGF-beta and sICAM-1 levels in the CSF of patients in both remitting and relapsing type. This is consistent with a possible down- regulation of TGF-beta on ICAM-1 expression and suggests a possible sy nthesis in the central nervous system of TGF-beta.